Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[gg706]

Very nice Wyandottes! Never really thought about the meat getting tough free ranging. But it does make complete sense. I think to make it worth it for me to raise some chicks for meat I would have to range them to try and cut down the feed bill.

 

[NanaKat]

Today, I weighed in some Wyandottes that are in breeding pens...the results ( the CWs are on a page back)
CW rooster now 2 years old 6.75 pounds
Birchen roo ( F1 cross of CW over Blue) 7 pounds
CW original hens - 3 hens averaged 5.5 pounds
Young CW pullet is now laying She weighs in at 4.5 pounds at 11 months
A Blue CW 4.5 pounds
The original Blue hen was 5 pounds
A broodie CW with two chicks was 5.5 pounds
An F1 Black 5.75 pounds

Out of the 11 hens in the Wyandotte pens I collected 9 eggs.
Lights in the coop is red ultraviolet with no supplemental light.
The south wall of the building is opaque plastic

Original Blue and a Birchen F1 on the left and the CW pen on the right. You can just barely see the BCW on the left by the feeder and a black in the background. Another Blue CW and The broodie with her x chicks



The Birchen F1 Roo and the two Black F1 sisters laying together. One has a little white on her throat. The girls have black over yellow legs and that will be bred out.

 

[gg706]

VERY nice Wyandottes!

I am going to try and weigh mine and compare them to your weights. Mine do not look as full in the breast and they do not have the nice tail as yours have. My hens tails are mediocre at best. Thank You for posting the pics and the info!

 

[Arielle]

Nanacat-- what a chest on that blue!!

-----------------------------------------
Jim ( Hall familiy) posted this-- THIS is the kind of heritage stock I"m looking for.


Originally Posted by HallFamilyFarm

This is a Heritage, SOP New Hampshire grown by Frank Reese of Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch.

http://www.reeseturkeys.net/product.sc?productId=31&categoryId=2 ​

 

[NanaKat]

Thanks Arielle. Believe it or not, the blue was a hatchery chick. She doesn't have the right leg color but has good type and feather. Her legs are black over yellow so bred to a yellow leg, her get show yellow legs....the Birchen roo for example.

 

[Cedarknob]

The SOP for heritage Wyandottes calls for cocks at 8 1/2 lbs and hens at 6 1/2 lbs, though I believe some show birds are pushing higher weights.

Here is a picture, borrowed from another thread, of a hatchery type Buff Orp. cockerel penned next to breeder's entry at a show. I think this is a good example of why, if we're looking to a breed for use at its original intention, I think we are better off paying a little more and buying one from a show line.That roasted NH from Good Shepard also shows why.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks Arielle. Believe it or not, the blue was a hatchery chick. She doesn't have the right leg color but has good type and feather. Her legs are black over yellow so bred to a yellow leg, her get show yellow legs....the Birchen roo for example.

Sounds like you have a breeding pen planned for the two.

 

[Arielle]

The SOP for heritage Wyandottes calls for cocks at 8 1/2 lbs and hens at 6 1/2 lbs, though I believe some show birds are pushing higher weights.

Here is a picture, borrowed from another thread, of a hatchery type Buff Orp. cockerel penned next to breeder's entry at a show. I think this is a good example of why, if we're looking to a breed for use at its original intention, I think we are better off paying a little more and buying one from a show line.That roasted NH from Good Shepard also shows why.

NOthing like getting me confused about which thread I"m on!!

 

[Arielle]

WHo marks hens/pullets that lay in the early winter??? I have a number of slackers and I'm wondering if it worth marking the the pullets/hens that ARE laying right now in case I need this information later. Wht do each of you do to promote winter layers IF that is a consideration. Maybe that is a separate question.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I believe the best way to evaluate layers is in early spring. If a bird isn't laying in March/April, she's just not a layer.
However, the best time to cull, I believe, is in fall. Why feed non-layers through the long winter? The conundrum is that those two seasons don't match.

So, here's what I do. I cull heavily in fall. The only birds I keep through the winter now is 1.) First year pullet. They'll lay up a storm. and 2.) my breeders for late winter/early spring breeding. That's it. The days of cheap feed are long over. Tending and husbandry is more difficult in the winter as well. But, by June, the flock will have ballooned to it maximum number.